Category: Lifestyle

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle has many perks that benefit the society, the economy, and of course, the environment. It helps reduce carbon emissions, conserves energy, keeps waste out of landfills, encourages community projects, creates jobs, and supports a local circular economy. In return, this allows us to create a better Earth for future generations. Here’s what you need to know about adopting a zero-waste lifestyle.  

Before you Start

There are a few things you need to know before you attempt to lead a zero-waste lifestyle. You might have heard about the mason jar that symbolizes the zero-waste movement. The first thing that you need to know is that you don’t have to fit all your trash into a mason jar because it is literally impossible. Living a zero-waste lifestyle is not about getting rid of all your waste. You also need to realize that you can’t make this shift overnight, no matter how motivated you are. If you don’t do this gradually, your success will be short-term. 

Don’t throw out all the items you own to purchase eco-friendly products; this would be extremely counterproductive. Continue using your plastic toothbrush and ice cube trays until they are totally worn out. Only then replace them with their sustainable alternatives. It can be discouraging if you see other people producing less waste than you. Remember that it’s not a competition, and you’re allowed to work at your own pace. Every little thing that you do will, ultimately, make a difference. 

Getting Started

Leading a zero-waste lifestyle is about reducing the amount of waste you produce daily to the least amount possible. Since this may sound impossible for anyone who is just starting, you need to set small sustainability goals first and increase them over time. Adjusting to any lifestyle takes a lot of time, and easing into a zero-waste lifestyle requires many steps and practice. 

5 Rules

Living a zero-waste lifestyle, there are 5 rules that you should always remember and live by. These rules all start with the letter ‘r’ and can be remembered as the “5 r’s.” You should always: Refuse the things you don’t need. Reduce the things you need. Reuse the things that you consume. Recycle the things that you can’t refuse/ reuse. Rot, or compost, what remains. 

Start Saying No

We come into contact with plenty of wasteful products every day, and not because you are starting to live waste-free; it means that other people are too. Therefore, start saying no to even the smallest wasteful products like plastic straws at restaurants and plastic bags at stores. The smallest things do make a difference, so every time you are about to accept a disposable item, stop and ask yourself if it’s worth it. 

Eat Clean

Stop purchasing packaged and processed foods. Start eating more fruits and vegetables, and realize that anything packaged, you can make at home. It does not only help the environment, but it also makes you a lot healthier. 

Cut Back on Disposable Products

Use less of your detergents, dish soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and everything else; this doesn’t mean you should use less of what is necessary to remain hygienic. It only means that we tend to overuse and waste a lot of products; be mindful and only dispense what you need. 

Take Part in Zero-Waste Communities

Taking part in zero-waste communities will help you stay motivated. Keeping up with sustainable living news at Trvst.world can also help you stay encouraged. Knowing that you are not the only one who cares about the environment and being part of a green community will provide you with the support you need to persevere and teach you helpful tips to help you ease into the lifestyle.

Essential Products

There are a few things to consider purchasing to help make your journey easier. A reusable water bottle is necessary to avoid using plastic water bottles and disposable beverage cups. Use glass jars and cloth bags, and totes to store your food, drinks, and other items instead of purchasing plastic containers, Ziplocs, and Tupperware. Purchase stainless steel, bamboo, glass, or reusable silicone straws; avoid using plastic ones. You can also use handkerchiefs to eliminate the use of tissues and napkins. 

Living a zero-waste lifestyle is very advantageous to the environment, economy, as well as your health. Although it may seem like an overwhelming change, it is a highly rewarding lifestyle. This information was collected to help you ease into the process. Everyone deserves the best of what the environment has to offer, and the Earth deserves the best care and treatment from us, so start making some small changes today.

Learning how to diversify your income and ways to earn extra cash outside of your main hustle can really give you a strong edge towards reaching your financial goals, enter the side hustle. Now a days it seems like everyone has found a way to earn a little extra side money. The great news about finding ways to generate income that is not your main source of funding is that is can be completely customizable. You can control the time you dedicate to it, how you earn it, and what you do with those earnings.

Debt Management

There may be times in your life where your side hustle might not be on the side of another paying gig, rather another large life event that requires your full-time attention, such as attending college. As a student, your main job is earning your degree, but since that is not going to pay your bills, or help you save for future ones, you might consider opportunities that are flexible and part time to generate some cash flow. If you are thinking about going to college and need help with financing, you can use a student loan repayment calculator to estimate what your monthly payments may be taking out a student loan with a private lender, so you know what to expect.

Repayment on student loans will not begin until after you graduate, however once they start, they only stop when your debt balance equals zero. Thinking about those payments ahead of their due date is a smart way to prepare your current finances for future responsibilities. You can estimate your monthly payments easily with a student loan repayment calculator to give you a loose guideline for your post-graduation budget. Once you have a handle on that, you can decide how much of your current side hustle money is sensible to stash away for this significant looming bill.

Track and Prep

The very first time you collect money from this stream of income, it is time to start tracking it. Not only is this a good practice for financial health in general, but it will help you to allocate your side money in a smart and efficient way. It is exciting to watch your money grow and being casual about your side hustle since it is not your main income is a mistake. Although this is not your full-time dedication, you are still giving your time, energy, and resources to it, it is still work. You would not let your salary land in your bank account haphazardly, so why create that habit with your bonus cash?

Brace yourself for Uncle Sam. Another huge reason that it is essential to track your earnings is because you will have to pay taxes on this money, and if you are not used to this style of tax payment plus you have not saved for it, the totals can really shock you. Same are there are tools available to estimate your monthly payments regarding student debt, tools exist to estimate your quarterly taxes as well.

Save and Spend in Tandem

After you have a handle on your stream of income and have allocated appropriate percentages towards future tax payments you need to figure out how to handle the balance of your money. Assumably the point of seeking out a side hustle in the first place is to grow your net worth, either on the precipice of a major life event like buying a home or planning a wedding, or to set yourself up for retirement and future financial freedom.

You can spread this money across various savings goals, but also allow yourself to live a little. It is possible to save and spend in tandem and to be responsible about both simultaneously. If you are someone who has taken on a side hustle on top of a full-time job, then you do not need to be told about the merits of hard work so give yourself permission to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Even simple spends like buying lunch on a day you normally would not feel like a treat without taking away from your ultimate goal.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was used as a template by the New York Life Investments in 2019 to illustrate the pyramid towards financial freedom. Right in the middle of that pyramid is Accumulating Wealth, which consists of the following: building an investment portfolio, saving for retirement, and paying down debt. A lot of options are available for any investor for the first one, such as stocks, mutual funds, and real estate.

Why Invest in Real Estate?

In case you haven’t seen it on your social media platforms yet, there is this guy who asks random people driving expensive cars and houses what they do for a living. Two of the most common answers were FinTech (Financial Technology) and real estate. It just shows that investing in real estate is still one of the most reliable ways to grow your money. The next step then is to look for ways to finance your real estate project. 

Real Estate Financing Options

Below is a shortlist of ways to finance your next real estate project:

• Owner Financing
• Lease
• Hard Money Lenders
• Microloans
• Equity Partnership
• Home Equity Financing
• Trade Houses
• Special Government Schemes
• SBA Loan
• REITs

Owner Financing

Unlike traditional selling where the buyer gives the seller money in exchange for something, here, the seller extends finances to their buyer. The buyer then will repay the seller later based on agreed-upon terms.

Lease

Leasing is like the usual renting, except that a higher amount of money is being paid. This is because the rent includes a premium, which ultimately accumulates to the purchase price.

Hard Money Lenders

Compared to traditional bank loans, hard money lending is offered by private groups or individuals. While the interest rates are relatively higher due to higher risks, hard money lending has its own advantages. Investors are subjected to less stringent approval procedures; an online application is possible, as evidenced at NewSilver.com,  and those that are considered risky projects are more likely to be approved than in a conventional bank loan. This type of financing also makes making profit easier, as a faster approval rate will mean faster rehabbing and flipping out of the purchased property.

Microloans

Just like with hard money lending, the qualification criteria for microloans are less strict. The lower amount of money loaned makes this possible, and this type of financing targets newer businesses or startups.

Equity Partnership

If the buyer really wants to purchase a property but is short in cash, an equity partner is also a viable option. In this setup, an additional entity (the equity partner) enters the picture of purchasing and injects some cash into the transaction. The terms are to be agreed upon by the buyer and the partner.

Home Equity Financing

When you want to expand your investment portfolio, you can leverage your existing property to buy a new one. HEIL and HELOC are just some of the options being offered by banks and other financing institutions in this category.

Trade Houses

Another way of utilizing your old property is by trading it for a new one. Aside from having a new investment, capital gains that are normally part and parcel of selling a property can also be avoided.

Special Government Schemes

The USDA offers up to 0% interest mortgages to low- and moderate-income individuals to fill underpopulated areas of the country. Towns with less than 10,000 population are included in this program.

SBA Loan

The US Small Business Administration aims to provide financing to small businesses as the name implies. That said, the borrower must occupy part of the whole property being purchased. The funding usually amounts to $125,000 to $20 million, and a 10% down payment is required. Some loan products allow the borrower to buy a building, conduct building improvements, or do ground-up constructions.

REITs

REITs, or Real Estate Investment Trusts, offers many advantages to investors. One of which is liquidity, as a shareholder who wants to opt-out of business can have his cash back when someone else wants to buy his shares. Buying targeted REITs is also possible, as one can select those that build medical buildings, parks, etc. While you do not have to manage anything in those investments, the downside is that the profits are stripped off overheads before distributing to the investors. 

Despite the variety of investment options such as the stock market and other technologies such as cryptocurrencies, real estate remains one of the most reliable avenues for building wealth. And while it requires a comparatively higher capital, several financing options are widely available for any investors. One only needs to consider his or her goals and put up a nice strategy to be able to repay these liabilities.

Real estate is arguably the most profitable than any other industry. Yet, many people are still skeptical about it. But if you know what you’re doing, it can seriously earn you a living.

According to research, 90 percent of the world’s millionaires got their wealth, and maintained it, through real estate investing. And it’s still one of the lucrative investments that’s effective today. It has so many benefits to offer. The best part of it is that you can even start without a significant capital, major assets, or credit.

Convinced? If you are, here are some strategies on how you can make money in this industry.

Buy to Let

One of the most common strategies that you can use is “buy to let.” Also known as BTL, this refers to purchasing a property in order to rent it out to tenants – either for residential or commercial use.

Residential

Usually, landlords choose to purchase a property, then lease it for residential use. The good thing about this is that it performs better even in the middle of an economic crisis. When the pandemic started, a lot of businesses were affected and closed down. This kind of scenario affects commercial investors too.

But residential real estates are immune to this as it’s always in demand. Thus, even if there’s an economic crisis, you’re still sure that you can earn money from your investment.

However, over time, you are at risk of spending more money. Renting a house out for residential use has phantom costs or unseen expenses. This includes repairs and maintenance.

If there’s a leak, you’re liable to fix it for your renters. You’re also the one who’ll spend on renovations for the next tenant, you’ll pay for the electrician, repairman, etc.

Commercial

On the other hand, there is commercial real estate. For this strategy, you can lease your property for commercial use. This can give you more income. In fact, it can generate 6 to 12 percent of return of investment price (yearly) than residential real estate, which can only make between 1 and 4 percent.

In addition to that, you’re ensured that your property is well-taken care of. This is because retail tenants need to maintain their store and storefront based on the rules and regulations of the company. Their business will be affected if they don’t follow them.

As a result, their interests are aligned with yours. This will definitely help you maintain and improve your property’s quality, as well as the value of your investment.

In addition to that, you won’t have to worry about renovating it. Some companies usually want to handle the renovations on their own as they have a design or branding to follow.

Renovating

Renovating property is also one of the common strategies that investors go for. Here, investors purchase a property, usually residential, renovate, then sell it.

For this strategy, you’d purchase a property at a low price. Experts on real estate investing say that the cheaper you can buy it, the more likely you’ll profit from it. However, this also means you’ll need more work and money to refurbish it.

But the good thing is that remodeling a house can increase its resale value more. Windows and garage door replacements alone can increase the property’s value up to 75 percent.

But for this strategy to be viable, you’ll need a huge amount of money. It looks easy but the process is lengthy. Still, the amount of money that you’ll gain is worth waiting for.

Online Investing

Thanks to the advancements in our technology, you can now invest in real estate online. This strategy involves web platforms and mobile applications. These platforms and apps will connect you to real estate managers who are looking to invest in properties. Once you get a deal, they will trade your capital with dividends provided that they earn money.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

This investment strategy is a bit different. Also known as REIT, this kind of resembles the real estate funds. However, you neither purchase nor manage the property yourself. Rather, you and other investors will pool your money into a fund, but a company will manage it.

REIT comes in various forms. Some REITs mainly focus on retail properties, including shopping centers. Others focus on hospitality, namely hotels and motels. The good thing about it is that you have a wider option.

Another good thing about it is that you don’t need a huge chunk of money in buying properties. Plus, it has lower risks than other strategies.

Diversifying Investment

All of the real estate investment strategies actually come with risks. For instance, commercial real estate doesn’t perform well in economic crises. Renovating properties takes time, effort, and money, which can be a drawback too.

No matter where you invest, there are always downsides, especially if you’re only putting all your eggs in one basket. But if you diversify your investment, there’s a smaller chance that you will lose all your money.

For instance, if you were to spend all your money in one building and renovating it, but no one buys or rents it, you’d likely find yourself in trouble. All of your money was already spent in that one building and you have no money coming in.

You can lessen such risk by putting some of your eggs in other baskets. This means you can buy a few houses or venture into other real estate investment strategies. This way, you won’t have to worry about your income. Even if the market crashes, you still have a backup.

It would be even better if you invest in different sectors in different countries. Thus, if the prices plummet in one country, your losses are reduced as your investments are balanced by the good ones.

Investing is not as easy as it looks. It involves more money than you thought, depending on the real estate strategy you’re going for. Plus, there are risks. But it’s a lucrative investment. If you know what you’re doing, you’ll surely earn more.

If you’re a word game lover, you already know that word games come in all shapes and sizes. You know the fun they can be and the mental stimulation that comes alongside playing them. If word games don’t sound like your cup of tea, you might be surprised to learn that these games are much more than just a pastime. Word games are incredibly good for your mind and result in long-lasting boosts to your cognitive abilities.

The following will break down why you should be playing at least one of these games—Scrabble—on the regular and will include some tips to help you master the sometimes tricky rounds. With a little technique and practice, you can be an expert Scrabble player in no time.

Scrabble Changes The Way Your Brain Works

A University of Calgary experiment did a study on the effects of Scrabble playing on the brain. They used 24 people in the study, half of which did not play Scrabble before the study began. They were given jumbled letters and were told to identify as many English words as possible as quickly as possible. Their brains were monitored by fMRI scanners.

The study found that the twelve volunteers who regularly played Scrabble were better at the task, which should come as no surprise. What was surprising was that the study also discovered the Scrabble players used an entirely different part of the brain to complete the assignment. They used the working memory and visual perception parts of their brain instead of the regions most generally associated with retrieval in visual word recognition.

The study concluded that the brain was highly flexible. If someone were to make Scrabble a regular part of their lifestyle, they could open up new mental capabilities. The results are being applied to other research being conducted on neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. People may be able to train their brains to use alternative regions, meaning damage or loss in one area doesn’t have to prevent a person from forever struggling with certain tasks.

Scrabble Improves Vocabulary But Also Strategy Skills

It should come as no surprise that playing Scrabble can boost your vocabulary. You’re always going to remember that one super obnoxious word a friend put down that won them the game. What many people don’t realize is that the layout of a Scrabble board also improves your ability to strategize.

Because of the double and triple letter score squares as well as the double and triple word score squares, many find winning the game involves a little planning ahead. Not only do you want to make it difficult for your opponents to access and use those squares easily, but you also want to set yourself up to use them optimally. Expert players tend to plan several words to help with this.

How To Be Good At It: Brush Up On Your Vocabulary

Diligent players of Scrabble will tell you it’s not just about knowing more words—and it isn’t. It’s also about knowing the right type of words. Because different letters produce different scores, learning words that use rarer letters can result in a massive advantage. Knowing words like the following can be the difference between a win and a loss:

• PHIZ (18 points)
• QUIFF (20 points)
• ZYMURGY (25 points)
• BEZIQUES (28)
• QUAT (12 points)
• MEZQUIT (27 points)
• QU (11 points)
• HIGHJACK (28 points)

It’s fairly easy to find lists of excellent Scrabble words online. Take note of a few of these words and watch your gameplay change.

Use An Unscrambling Tool

A big part of Scrabble is finding the words you’ve got in your seven letter spread. If you’ve never done this sort of thing before, it can be a little overwhelming. Taking a bit of time to watch an unscrambler program provide all the possible words out of a sequence of letters can train your mind to see these words hidden in the letters you were given. Spoiler alert: there are more words in a series of seven letters than you’d first think. There are over 200 words that can be made out of the letters: P, N, A, L, T, E, S—that’s a lot of options!

The above information should help you see why playing Scrabble is so great for your mind. And the tips included at the end should help you get off on the right foot when it comes to developing a knack for the game. Of course, everyone is different, and so everyone’s mind works a little bit differently. Take note of the letters you struggle to make decent words with when playing and do a little research on the possibilities they can have.

When starting a business, grasping consumer attention by elaborating who you are and what you offer becomes one of the most fundamental operations at the initial stages. Once you attract a certain percentage, the objectives then diversify to include retaining them as return customers and attaining a wider market reach.

That is where vigorous marketing comes in handy. However, getting the market talking about you and identifying themselves with your brand requires a smart and calculated move. In the modern age, technology plays a significant role in how people interact. A significant percentage of the young’s demographic to the old are active online on social media platforms. Therefore, building your clientele portfolio through social media becomes the move to actualize.

Do You Have a Social Media Community?

Having a communal feel has, from time immemorial, become a significant influence on human interaction. It gives people a sense of belonging. It helps them feel appreciated, valued, and cared for at all times. Additionally, it provides a space for interaction without worrying that you will have judgmental and critical responses.

For instance, if one struggles with certain addictive behavior, a communal approach in reminding them they are not alone goes a long way in dealing with the situation. It is no exception with a social media community. Give your market a different and custom opportunity with a community that stems from your business.

Live Streaming is the Way to Go

When you want to have an interactive session with your audience, live streaming is one of the ways that will offer instant results. It will increase user experience and engagement, which will, in turn, help social media users associate with your brand.

Through live streaming, you can also promote your products and services. Customer satisfaction is fundamental in increasing your consumer base. Thankfully with live streaming, you can hold an interactive question and answer session where you answer any queries and concerns that your audience may have about your business. Additionally, live streaming offers an authentic approach that customers find pleasant to interact with and become return clients.

Conversational Marketing

Does your audience talk about you? If not, you could use a boost. Digital and social media marketing, as  e-innovate.co.uk highlights, is helping you open up your social media platforms for a wider target reach. If only a considerably lower percentage of your audience market knows about your business, even when you have intense marketing, you could be doing something wrong.

A significant influence of social media marketing should have conversations flowing naturally around your business. It becomes easier to align your business objectives around what gets people talking.

Custom Social Media Influencer Marketing

Social media influencer marketing has significantly grown over the last couple of years. It allows you to use a well-known brand in marketing your products to their audience. With such a strategy, consumers will want to associate themselves with your business as they can vouch for the brand influencer’s opinion.

However, the influx of social media influencers has seen a shakeup in actively using the marketing strategy. In such a situation, it may dilute the marketing effect you hope to achieve as consumers may doubt the authenticity of brand marketing.

Here’s how you can make it tight- micro-influencer marketing. Look out for smaller brands with a loyal following. That is your gold mine. Such influencers will have an easy time reaching out to their audience in vouching for your product and services. Additionally, the audience will then reach out to their followers, which will, in turn, help you market your business.

Video Content

A great way to jump on social media marketing in 2021 is through videos. The essence of social media platforms is to have a visual boost. Thanks to videos, you can quickly illustrate what your business offers. Remember, the attention span of the average consumer is a few minutes.

Therefore, a significant percentage will shy away from reading very long content in your business. On the other hand, creating short minutes of videos will quickly grasp their attention and communicate effectively when they are still interested.

6. Stories are Ideal

The use of stories like Instagram offers a real time consumer interaction that is hard to ignore. It allows your audience to interact with you when a day to day basis without putting too much information on your feed. The stories last for a day, giving you ample time to keep your audience up to date on what you are up to throughout.

Ultimately, remember that technology is the future. Consequently, social media is also part of technology. Therefore, increasing your presence in the different social media platforms will have you boost your market tremendously.